Graham Johnson’s Songmakers’ Almanac Series

Ailish Tynan – Soprano
Anna Huntley  – Mezzo-Soprano
Theodore Platt – Baritone
Graham Johnson – Piano

Graham Johnson continues his Songmakers’ Almanac series by celebrating the most famous birthday of all. With a selection of songs by composers from Wolf and Strauss to Vaughan Williams and Britten, the line-up of talented singers explore the Christmas story from numerous characters’ perspectives through the ages.

‘A Winter Birthday’

PROLOGUE 

PART ONE: A BIRTH IN BETHLEHEM

Wolf: Nun wandre, Maria 

Wolf: Die ihr schwebet 

Vaughan-Williams: The Oxen

Warlock: First Mercy 

Cornelius: Die Hirten 

Strauss: Die heiligen drei Könige aus Morgenland 

PART TWO: CHRISTMAS GIVING

Britten: The Birds

Ravel: Noël des jouets 

Debussy: Noël des enfants qui n’ont plus de maisons

Harry Woods: Poor Papa

Poulenc: Nous voulons une petite soeur

Wolf: Epiphanias 

PART THREE: DECEMBER’S CHILDREN

Beethoven (born 16 Dec 1770): Der Kuss

César Franck (born 10 Dec 1822): La Vierge à la créche

Kodály (born 16 Dec 1882): Busan csörög a lomb 

A surprise composer (born 16 Dec 1899): A surprise item… 

PART FOUR: THROUGH THE WORLD RESOUNDING

Howells (England): Come sing and Dance 

Ives (America): A Christmas Carol

Grieg (Norway): Julens Vuggesang

Nin (Spain): Villancicos Españoles 

Humperdinck (Germany): Weihnachten